Chapter 5

Chapter Five

I didn't bother trying to interact with them. I laid down in the darkness and was lulled to sleep by the steady beats of the ants marching along. My dreams were filled with a children's song…

The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah…

The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah…

The ants go marching three by three,

The little one stops to climb a tree,

And they all go marching down, to the ground, to get out of the rain…

An abrupt stop pulled me from my slumber. The covering was removed. I sat up and found myself in a rock stable of sorts, with the ground lined with minty sweet leaves instead of hay.

I slapped my hand over my mouth to keep from screaming at the many other creatures residing inside the structure. Though I was safe in my palanquin cage, I scooted across the pillow to the far side of the litter.

"Be still, little human cow. These are just your siblings. They are harmless. The less-evolved versions existing on your planet are called aphids."

I lowered my hand and shook my head. I had seen aphids before. These were manatee-sized monsters with dagger-straw beaks for mouths. Their coloring was so bright, they seemingly glowed in the dimness of the stone barn.

"They don't eat humans," the second seemingly younger one assured. "Only sap. They are quite docile."

I looked up at my three new keepers. The light leaking in from the outside indicated a midday of sorts, allowing to me to really see the three red and black alien ants. They were muscular, their exoskeletons molding their large bodies like biological suits of armor. They kind of reminded me of the mythical stories of orcs, but with mandibles instead of tusks.

"Does she not speak?" the third asked grumpily. He had a scar peeking out from beneath a leather eyepatch.

Lord, they were huge.

My eyes drifted lower. Um, like very huge.

The younger pulled out a computer tablet then shrugged. "Humans are sentient. I think she is simply choosing to remain silent."

"Let us work. Let her settle." The first moved toward the equipment. "We can milk her later."

The world spun as they left my cage, and I thought I might faint. I really had been sold as a cow. I had been drugged and imprisoned, forced to show my wares and perform my tricks like a nineteenth-century circus animal, and purchased.

I fucking blamed my parents. Laws of attraction and all. I wanted to be an entomologist, but they insisted I sell milk. Now in some twisted form of cosmic comeuppance, I had insect aliens wanting to milk me, probably to sell. Fuck my life.

Worst, I was fucking horny again. And my tits were heavy and aching. I contemplated masturbating just to ease the pain. But I was not alone in the barn.

I leaned in my cage to watch the ants milk the aphids for their honeydew. Much like the old-fashioned way of milking cows, the farmer ants sat on large stools, buckets in hand, and used their antenna feelers to tickle the aphid until it secreted the honeydew, which the ants easily collected with their claw-fingered hands. They deposited the nectar drops into their pails.

The ants worked with the same speed and efficiency of any milking machine I'd ever seen, and soon, they were done. The ants then ushed the herd of insects out the barn, which left me alone to ponder my existence.

I shook myself. I was wasting precious time just sitting there.

"Now would be a good time to escape," I whispered to myself and began feeling the cage for weaknesses.

Strangely, I found the latch unlocked.

I pulled it, opened the cage door, and scrambled out. I stood up and looked at the space. I was so fucked in the head. Now free, I was unsure what to do. My heart pounded. I frantically searched the barn. Upon seeing the cage covering, I snatched the large sheet up and wrapped it around myself like a toga.

Stumbling toward the exit, tripping on the fabric dragging around my feet, I pondered my next move. I was in a foreign universe. I knew nothing about this planet other than the rumors, which were obviously true. They really did abduct humans here.

I had just stepped out into the sunlight when one of the ant keepers appeared, towering over me still even though I was on my feet.

I was so fucked.